Distance to mic for vocals

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Armistice
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Distance to mic for vocals

Post by Armistice »

I'm finding, with the stuff I'm currently doing, I spend a lot of time post-tracking levelling out the vocals, sometimes almost syllable by syllable.

I'm assuming it's because I'm usually a little unrehearsed and have generally crap technique (I probably think, "quiet section - get closer" a second too late... and the reverse :lollers: ) and I seem to be writing songs where I have to get really close sometimes and then much further back at others.

Apart from rehearsing them more (and I probably should do this with a microphone - penny drop!), any particular suggestions?

I tend to want to avoid compression on the way in and I use a bit of it in post, but I'm still doing waaaaay too much fucking around with volume envelopes on the lead vocal track ... :mad:
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ido1957
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Re: Distance to mic for vocals

Post by ido1957 »

Have you tried Parallel Compression after EQ/DeEss/LA2A-type plugins?
Last edited by ido1957 on Tue Jan 24, 2017 11:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Greg_L
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Re: Distance to mic for vocals

Post by Greg_L »

I've found that for myself I naturally "compress" and don't even mean to do it. Now most of my vocal tracks are basically shitty yelling near pitch and not so much "singing", but it works all the same. Even my loudest parts aren't really all that loud. My quiet parts aren't all that quiet. My delivery is pretty consistent. I didn't train myself to do that, I think it just happened subconsciously because it surely has not always been that way.

Anyway, even with my own self leveling, I still compress vocals pretty hard afterwards. I just like the sound.

And I usually track vocals for myself or anyone else about a foot off the mic.
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miroslav
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Re: Distance to mic for vocals

Post by miroslav »

I'm usually in the 4"-6" range ...and always with a pop filter in-between....so it's like 2" from filter to mic...and I'm anywhere from 2"-4" from the filter.

Have you tried add a light comp/limiter after the pre...something that only pick up on the louder peaks, but does nothing on the rest.
That way, you set your level for the bulk of the vocals, and let the comp/limiter deal with anything that gets over.
It might save you a good deal of editing later.
I just mentioned in the Analog forum that one of my favorite analog devices is an old AD&R broadcast limiter, and that's mainly what I use it for, when I have wide ranging vocals. It does just the right amount of leveling on the peaks, and it's not really noticeably.
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Tadpui
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Re: Distance to mic for vocals

Post by Tadpui »

Yeah man, I'd say that if you're going syllable by syllable, to just use one or two good compressors. A fast, gently applied one, then a slower more heavy handed one. That's the classic 1176 into an LA2A thing.

Like so: http://www.uaudio.com/blog/chaining-117 ... mpressors/
cakewalkKaKed
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Re: Distance to mic for vocals

Post by cakewalkKaKed »

maybe vocal rider (waves) or gain rider are the type of thing your after ? ...

http://www.waves.com/plugins/vocal-ride ... ocal-rider

http://www.tb-software.com/TBProAudio/gainrider.html



personally for that kinda workflow id chop the vocal into bits and use clip gain (but defo with compression)
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ido1957
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Re: Distance to mic for vocals

Post by ido1957 »

I usually sing about 6 inches from the pop filter which is an inch in front of the mic. I usually plant my feet in a certain spot and take note of it, so that if I turn around to start/stop recording, I'm basically in the same spot. BUT, if I run through a number of takes, I can hear a slight difference between tracks, caused by being a tiny bit off-axis or slightly closer. My mic is too sensitive lol. I compress gently going in, then probably -3-5 db ITB before all sorts of other mangling.
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JD01
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Re: Distance to mic for vocals

Post by JD01 »

I'm a fairly crap singer - I find I get best results singing into an SM57 though.

I tend to keep my normal singing verses at a pretty consistent level and sing about 10 - 15cm off the pop filter at a 45 degree angle to the mic.
My chorus vocals are usually screamy and much louder - and its very very loud in the room. For these I'll be about 20cm off the mic and I'll have the gain lower on the AI.

My straight and screaming vocals are always on different tracks.

I just do a couple of tests with the track armed sing normally, adjust the gain till its around -18db, the scream my lungs out and adjust the gain again.
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rammer24
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Re: Distance to mic for vocals

Post by rammer24 »

This might just be my mic, because I never experienced this until I got this mic. It's a great mic, ( SE Electronics sE2200a II C ), but if I get more than 4 inches in, it accents certain high's and rejects other high's and make me sound like I have a hair lip or something. I get the best results about 6 -8 inches away. Further if I'm screaming or going for "gang" vocals, where I want it to sound a little distant.
Last edited by rammer24 on Wed Jan 25, 2017 5:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Armistice
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Re: Distance to mic for vocals

Post by Armistice »

Thanks guys... some good suggestions there. I used to use a channel strip on the way in and apply some slight compression, but as it doesn't have a AD converter I ended up just going straight to the interface - and that was at a time when I was recording more even vocals - I may have to dust it off.

Also, just clue me in on parallel compression - that's when you make a copy of the track and compress it reasonably heavily and feed that back into the main vocal, to taste, yes?
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JD01
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Re: Distance to mic for vocals

Post by JD01 »

Armistice wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2017 5:35 pm Thanks guys... some good suggestions there. I used to use a channel strip on the way in and apply some slight compression, but as it doesn't have a AD converter I ended up just going straight to the interface - and that was at a time when I was recording more even vocals - I may have to dust it off.

Also, just clue me in on parallel compression - that's when you make a copy of the track and compress it reasonably heavily and feed that back into the main vocal, to taste, yes?
You use Reaper don't you? From what I've read you don't have to make copies of anything to use parallel compression with Reacomp. You can just set Reacomp up to do it. Take a look at their NY Drum Bus. Obviously you'll have to adjust the settings for vocal but it will get you going.
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Armistice
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Re: Distance to mic for vocals

Post by Armistice »

JD01 wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2017 5:46 pm
Armistice wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2017 5:35 pm Thanks guys... some good suggestions there. I used to use a channel strip on the way in and apply some slight compression, but as it doesn't have a AD converter I ended up just going straight to the interface - and that was at a time when I was recording more even vocals - I may have to dust it off.

Also, just clue me in on parallel compression - that's when you make a copy of the track and compress it reasonably heavily and feed that back into the main vocal, to taste, yes?
You use Reaper don't you? From what I've read you don't have to make copies of anything to use parallel compression with Reacomp. You can just set Reacomp up to do it. Take a look at their NY Drum Bus. Obviously you'll have to adjust the settings for vocal but it will get you going.
Cool - I'll have a look. Thanks
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JD01
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Re: Distance to mic for vocals

Post by JD01 »

No worries. It's just a preset, I which I've tweaked a bit. I don't really understand it but someone here will.
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rammer24
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Re: Distance to mic for vocals

Post by rammer24 »

Not me. I've never used it. I don't dismiss these techniques, but I always say that if I get to the point of needing that kind of "trickery", I must have dome something wrong somewhere along the way.
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